Never Enough
by samantha248
Summary: "Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one." Kade has fought to survive the first few months of the outbreak but with two young boys to look after, how much longer can they last? Will she accept help from a group of strangers or take the risk of taking her "brothers" and continuing on without aid?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead.**

**Enjoy.**

The worst part isn't losing half my family, or all of my possessions. It isn't leaving my past life behind. And it isn't looking into the mirror and not recognizing my own face. It's looking into my little brothers eyes and not seeing the joy that was once a permanent resident there. It's looking at the baby in my arms and knowing he will never have the childhood I once had.

As I drive down the car littered street, I bounce the four month old on my lap, while Zach is fast asleep in the back seat. We've all learned to sleep anywhere at any time in the day. But I still try and drive as lightly as I can, so I don't wake the two boys. When I pull into the driveway, of what seems to be an empty building though, Zach wakes up with a jolt.

"Sorry Z. But we're low on food. You're going to have to watch Zeke until I get back." I scan the area with my eyes.

"Time?" He mumbles back.

"Uh." I take out my dads pocket watch out of the glove department and pop it open. "Five in the morning. Now, get up. We have to do a sweep of the building before Zeke wakes up."

I place Zeke gently into the car seat we found last week without waking him. Then hop out the door my knife already raised. Zach copies my exact form and fallows close behind me, kukri raised. When I open the door to the building it screeches loudly.

"Ready?"

"I was born ready, Brooke." I see him yawn and rub his eyes, contradicting his words.

"Good." I shoot back.

I take the butt of my knife and bang it against the metal. The loud noise rings throughout the building. And that's when they come. I count them out of habit. Ten. The first one goes down easily with a stab in the eye. Z takes down number two and three easily. I approach four and five. I spin under fours arm and stab him in back of the head. I try to pull out and spin to five but it's stuck. Five starts to approach and I take a deep breath. I yank my hammer out from my belt and swing it down on the zombie's head killing him on contact. I take out six and seven in the same way, while Zach gets eight and nine. Then there's one left. Number ten. I drop the hammer and take out one of my throwing knifes from my wrist strap. I spin to build up the momentum and release the knife. It sinks deep into tens eye socket. And he falls to the floor with a thud five feet in front of me.

"Nice one." I hear Zach say behind me.

"You get Zeke. I'll sweep the rest of the building and find something to board the door up." He gives me a salute and spins on his heels, while whipping the blood from his kukri. I shudder inside at his casual demeanor. A twelve-year-old boy shouldn't have this for a life. I shake my head slightly to clear it but it doesn't quit work. It never does.

I collect the weapons I dropped on the floor with steady hands and return them to there former places. Once I clear the building, with two more kills, I hurry back down the steps with a medal pipe and board for the door. I can't stand being away from the boys longer then I have to be. But as usual they're fine sitting on a couch in the main entrance. Zeke giggles lightly at the sight of me and I can't help but smile back.

"Here are the things for the door." I hand them to Zach. "I'll only be gone an hour maybe two. If I'm gone more then a day leave without me. There should be enough food for the two of you to last about a day, maybe two. Oh, and there's a bathroom down the hall. I checked and the water works. So please try and get as clean as possible. I'll give Zeke a bath when I get back." Zach stares back at me with a worried look. "I'll be right back, Z. You don't have to worry about me." I say trying to convince him and myself.

"Of course I do." He responds plainly. I wince but nod my head. I always feel so guilty looking at the boys. Like I could have done something different that would give them the childhood they deserve. Like if I try a little harder. Or kill more zombies; I could raise them to be almost normal. "Where are we anyways?" He asks looking around.

"Oh, it's a run down building on the outskirts of Atlanta." I look around with him and don't see much other then concrete. "It's not much but it's better then the car." I shrug.

"It'll do… Are you hunting or just getting food?" He asks hesitantly. He never approved of me hunting alone but I'm the one in charge. And if I want to hunt geeks I will. I mean the more geeks I kill the less living have to be eaten alive. Or at least that's what I tell myself. But deep down I know it's for them. It's the only thing that still gives me hope of an end to all of this. So that's what I am… I'm a hunter.

"I'll just get food this time, bud. But I don't know how the city is so keep your walkie on." I pull him into a hug and clutch onto him for what may be the last time. Then I turn to Zeke and kiss him gently on the forehead. As I make my way to the door I feel the tug in my gut that screams for me to stay. But I push it down and burry it under my responsibilities. I push the door open hammer raised.

"Brooke." Zach says stopping me instantly. "Moon and back." He smiles.

"Moon and back." I smile back. We haven't used our saying in a while. Maybe a week tops. 'I love you to the moon and back' is the full one but recently we've just been shortening it. Saves time and time can save our lives. I close the door behind me and make sure the cars locked up.

I grab the 'go pack' from the car, which is really just a backpack full of weapons, a bottle of water, and an expired granola bar, and get going. Every time I round a corner my heart pounds in my ears. I duck under the fence that leads into the city and start my run. I try to avoid as many geeks as I can but the place is infested with them. I kill ten geeks until I decide I can't continue like this. So I try to find other ways around it. I look up and see that the buildings are close enough together for me to jump them.

I pick the smallest building I can find and apparently I picked right because the whole thing was zombie free. After climbing way too many stairs, I open the door to the roof and take gulps of fresh air. I finally straighten up from my hunched over position and walk over to the edge of the roof, at a safe distance of course. The new world definitely took away a lot of my fears. But I think the fear of heights will always stay with me. And as I look down at the street, the height wasn't the only thing that unsettled me.

The street is crammed with geeks. I don't see how I'll be able to crawl through the city without being overwhelmed. Looks like I'll just have to break my word to Zach and do some exterminating. It's the only way I can get the food I need for the boys. So I go for it. I get a running start and jump to the roof of the next building. Once I'm there I climb the ladder to the second higher up building. And run over to a pile of discarded metal I grab as much as I can hold. Then walk back over to the edge of building where a decently sized ally waits below and drop them off the roof. The noise rings through the city streets. And then I'm left to wait. Wait for all the zombies to move to where the noise came from. So I take a seat and throw a piece of scrap metal off the roof every now and then, letting my thoughts wander as I do.

I try to think of the good things in my life. I'm still alive. I have Zach, the only living member of my old family. And if this all never happened I would have never found Zeke. I mean don't get me wrong; I would go back to how things were in a heartbeat. But I think I'm doing the best I can with cards I was dealt. Oh, and the lack of eating took away all the 'baby fat' that's been hanging around for the entire seventeen years of my life. The last time I looked in the mirror I finally realized that the adjective 'chubby' wouldn't be used to describe me anymore. Neither would bubbly or sweet. And trust me, they were used a lot. Now I look muscular and guarded, maybe even cold. Adjectives that I never thought would be used to depict me. Ever.

I throw another piece of metal over but I don't hear the ringing of it hitting the floor. So I get up and peak over. Yup, I was right. The entire ally is crammed pack with zombies. They just stand there and run into each other looking around for what made the noise. Which means it's time for action. I swing the backpack off my shoulder and open it up. By the amount it looks like one, maybe two grenades should take care of it. Then all the other zombies in the city will run to the explosion, and I'll have the whole place to myself to get the food and get out.

I sit on the edge of the roof with my legs swinging off the ledge. I look down and wrap my arm around the pole next to me. I take the grenade in my hand and right as I'm about to pull the pin I hear the pounding of a helicopter above me. When I look up and see it pass over me. I jump up and wave my arms around spastically. But it just flies away in the distance. It was a long shot anyways. But maybe the explosion will bring them back. So I take my seat again with a sigh and am about to pull the pin. But of course something messes it all up, again. Or should I say someone. A sheriff on a horse it looks like, rides straight into the herd of zombies in my ally. Making it impossible for me to drop the grenade.

"Damn it!" I jump up and run over to the stairs. I have my hammer in one hand and a gun with a silencer that I just got from my backpack in the other. I take the steps two at a time and burst through the double doors in minutes. When I reach the street I see that most of the zombies are focused on the cop.

This would be the perfect moment for me to run. No one would even notice. But if I do leave then that guy is as good as dead. But what if I die trying to help him. Then Zach and Zeke would be left alone. I decide I can't take the risk. Zach needs me. I turn and start to run in the opposite direction. When I hear a gunshot. Seriously! A gun without a silencer in a crowd of zombies. Whatever geek in the city wasn't running to him, definitely will be now.

And then it hits me. A saying my mom said a lot before she died. "We have to help each other out in bad times. Because if we don't no one else will." That saying lost us a months worth of food to a family passing through our neighborhood. But she was right. That food probably saved their lives. And I think Zach would understand. Scratch that, I hope he would understand.

I breathe in deeply and turn around. I have to help him. After all it was my fault all the zombies were grouped there in the first place. So I take off at a sprint. I'm not far away from him but his horse is a lot faster then me. But as expected he's taken down in a matter of seconds. He manages to get back up but his horse isn't so lucky. As I run towards him, I take out whatever zombie is within swinging reach of me.

"Hey! Get under the tank!" I yell at him when I'm close and he turns around. Not really the smartest move ever. Especially when man eating undead people surround you. I raise my gun and fire at anyone close to him. "Go now!" I take down two more zombies with my hammer and another with my gun. Most of the zombies are pretty occupied with the horse being eaten alive. As I run past it I shudder at the noises he makes in agony and put a bullet in the things head so it at least won't feel any more pain. I feel the zombies tug at my clothing and I'm not that close to the tank. I don't have enough time to crawl under like the sheriff already did. And with a wince I realize that I have to slide under. Shorts and sliding on concrete don't mix very well. But I would rather have a couple scrapes rather then being eaten alive. So I do it I slide under and practically hear the skin pealing off of my leg. The burning starts instantly and it feels like my leg is on fire. I look on both sides of the tank and we're surrounded. I start to fire at the ones crawling under the tank and the guy next to me does too but then his fire stops. My eyes wander to the guy next to me. Maybe the last living thing I ever see. And to no surprise he has a gun to his head.

"Lorie, Carl, I'm sorry." I hear him say. I roll my eyes and see a door to the tank above us.

"Not today sheriff." I crawl through the whole and he fallows close behind. After the door is finally closed he scrambles to the other side of the tank. Taking the cozy spot next to what looks like a dead zombie. He takes deep gulping breaths and leans over to grab the dead zombies gun. But surprise! The zombies not dead! Instead of just lying there like any normal dead zombie should, his head rolls around and he stares at the sheriff. The sheriff yanks the gun from the undead guy and puts it under his chin.

"No!" I say trying to stop him.

I mean any genius would know not to shoot a gun in a small metal space. But I was too late. The gun goes off and I feel like my ears are going to explode. I can tell it's worse for him though. He stumbles forward and lies down on the floor. For a second I think he's going to pass out. But he's much too manly for that. Instead he looks up at the top of the tank. I fallow suit and see what catches his attention. The hatch is still open. He gets up and fumbles to look outside. I can hear the zombies drawing closer.

"Close the door!" And this time he actually listens. He closes the door and slumps back down to the floor. "Do you have a death wish Sheriff?"

"Who are you?" He asks not bother to answer my question.

"What? No thanks for saving my life?" I raise my eyebrows and look down at my leg. It's a shredded mess of blood, loose street pavement, and broken glass.

"Thanks. Really." I give him a salute. And when I look up at him I see he's already staring at me. I can only imagine what I must look like to him. A seventeen-year-old green-eyed girl with tanned skin and freckles. Her brown wavy hair pulled back in ponytail. Dirt smudged face and bleeding all over the floor of a tank.

"Well since you asked. You can call me Kade." I take out the water bottle from my backpack and pour some over my leg. Then I start to pull out pieces of rock and glass. Thank God for the long sleeved flannel I'm wearing or I would have gotten my arm scrapped up just as bad.

"Kade?" I guess he's never heard the nickname before.

"Short for Kadyn… It means fighter." I leave out the part where it's my middle name and why I use it rather then my first. It's all too personal for just meeting the guy.

"Seems fitting. Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"That's a long story. One that I will be happy to tell you, if we ever get out of this alive." I finally finish washing the dirt off my leg and look up. I see him looking back at me, eyes full of sincerity. "Since we're asking questions. Whose Lorie and Carl?"

He takes a moment before responding. "My wife and son. I woke in the hospital a couple of days ago and the world was like this. I'm on my way to the CDC to try and find them." That's a hell of story. I wouldn't have minded taking a nap throughout the first part of the takeover.

"That's where I'm headed. The CDC." I nod my head.

"Do you have family there too?"

"No." I chuckle. Barely anyone has family anymore. "I just heard a rumor a while ago, about a cure. I figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out. Worst comes to worst we have a place to hide out for a while." I shrug.

"We?"

"Really? I was just talking about a possible cure and you want to give me grammar lessons. Sorry, I meant I." The last thing I want is for someone I don't know, to know about Zach and Zeke.

"Sorry." He smiles. Not something I'm used to seeing these days. "I was just hoping there might be more people with you."

"You and me both Sheriff."

"Maybe we could help each other out on the trip." He offers raising his head slightly.

"Tempting offer, really. But I tend to fly solo. You know? Socially awkward, annoyed easily, less burdens."

"Well hopefully, I'll change your mind." The guy is a bit clueless on the whole zombie thing.

"I'll make you a deal. If we get out of this alive, I'll help you get a car. That way your transportation won't be a walking meal for the corpse's."

"Deal. But I really think we could help each other. You shouldn't be traveling alone at you're age."

"I'll think about it." Just then a noise comes from the radio inside the tank.

"Hey dumb Asses. Yeah, you guys in the tank. Cozy in there?" the strange voice sounds through the tank.

"Did he just call me a dumb ass?!" I try scramble over to the radio to give this guy a piece of my mind. But of course sheriff gets there first. It helps that he has full use of both legs.

"You still alive in there?" The voice says again. The sheriff looks hesitant to answer.

"Well say something?" I motion with my hand for him to continue.

"Hello? Hello?" The sheriff repeats trying to get back the voice.

"There you are. You had me wondering." The voice responds immediately.

"Where are you? Outside? Can you see me right now?" The Sheriff sounds more insistent.

"Yeah, I can see you. You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news."

"There's good news?" We both say at the same time in the same surprised voices.

"No." The voice responds simply.

"Listen whoever you are. I don't mind telling you that we're a little concerned in here."

"Oh, man. You should see from over here. You'd be having a major freak out."

"Oh, that's comforting." I say leaning back against the tank. I should have run when I had the chance.

"Got any advice for us?" He glances at me quickly.

"Yeah I'd say make a run for it." I look down at my leg when he says it.

"That's it, make a run for it?"

"It's not as dumb as it sounds you've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still left on the top of the tank but the others have climbed down to join the feeding frenzy of where the horse went down. You with me so far."

"So far."

"Ok, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted you stand a chance. You've got ammo?"

"In that duffel bag I dropped out there. And guns. Can I get to it?"

"Forget the bag. It's not an option. What do you have on you?"

"Hold on." The sheriff rummages around the dead soldiers body.

"Do you have anything?" He asks turning to me.

"I'm not good at sharing. I'll cover you when we run but my guns stay in my hands." He nods curtly and turns back to the radio."

"I got a barrette with one clip, 15 rounds."

"Well make 'em count. Ready?"

"Hold on a second." He turns back to me. "Can you run with your leg?"

"Yeah the cuts aren't as bad around my knee so I can bend it long enough. You don't have to worry about me."

"Do you at least want the barrette?" He offers.

"I have like five in my backpack. You can keep that one sheriff." I give him a solid nod and he returns it with a hesitant look.

"Ok, we're good. What's next?"

"Jump off the right side of the tank run and keep going that direction. There's an ally up the street maybe 50 yards. Be there."

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Have you been listening? You're running out of time." Sheriff and I share one last look before we get ready for battle. Because that's what this world is a constant battle.

I hope you liked it. Please leave me comments and suggestions! I would love to hear some other opinions on the story. My hope is to have at least a chapter week, maybe more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Walking Dead.**

**Enjoy!**

The sheriff grabs a shovel from inside the tank. And with one last nod to each other he opens the top. He goes out first and takes out the one on the top of the tank. He jumps out and I follow him close behind. Random voice was right. It's really not that bad. I've been in way worse before. We sprint down the street and I take out anything within arms reach with my hammer. While sheriff, on the other hand, fires at anyone within a descent amount of space between us. I only use my gun when the sheriff is overwhelmed. And then we spot the ally. The sheriff turns to it first and raises his gun. But something, or better yet, someone stop him.

"Not dead. Not dead." A young looking guy says back. "Come on. Come on." And without a moment of hesitation we're running after him down the ally. As we go the sheriff and I fire at the zombies coming down the ally. I look back to the kid and see he's starting to climb a ladder. I start to climb as well leaving the sheriff to continue with shooting the geeks. My leg feels like its on fire with every step and I can see a fresh flow of blood running down it.

"Come on!" I yell down at the sheriff. He turns around and scrambles up the ladder after us.

"Nice moves there, Clan Eastwood." The kid turns to the sheriff once he's up. "So you're the sheriff come ridding in to clean up the town." He leans against the railing in front of us.

"Wasn't my intention." The sheriff replies, taking deep breaths like the rest of us.

"Whatever. Yeeha. You're still a dumb ass." He shakes his head.

"Rick, thanks." He sticks out his hand.

"Glenn, You're welcome." They both glance at me and for a moment I don't know why.

"Oh sorry you can call me Kade." I give him a small nod but then my glance returns to the floor, where some zombies are practicing their ladder climbing skills. "We should go." I say gesturing down.

"Yeah come on." Glenn walks over to a ladder I didn't notice before and looks up. Once I follow his gaze my stomach feels like it's in knots. "On the bright side it will be the fall that kills us. I'm a glass half full kind of guy." That really doesn't help the stomach problem. And right now I'm wishing I'm afraid of spiders or snakes instead of heights. Glenn goes first and the sheriff offers the bars to me next but my feet stay rooted to the ground.

"Are you coming?" The sheriff asks when he notices my hesitation.

"Uh… yeah it's just… my leg… it's bleeding a lot and I don't want to bleed all over the handle bars and make you guys slip. Go first. I'm right behind you." He nods and starts to climb the ladder. With a gulp of air I follow him. I grab the bars so tight my knuckles turn white and my hands start to shake. When I finally reach the top the boys are patiently waiting.

"Don't like heights?" The Glenn kid asks while he offers me his hand. I take it and grab onto it for dear life. He flinches noticeably with pain from my iron grip.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I shake off the fear once I'm standing safely on the ground.

"You the one that barricaded the ally?" Sheriff asks Glenn as we make our way over the rooftops.

"No but somebody did. I guess when the city got overrun. Whoever did it was thinking, not many geeks get through."

"Back at the tank. Why'd you stick your neck out for us?" Sheriff asks as we walk over to yet another ladder, this one instead leading down into darkness.

"Call it foolish naive hope. Figured if I was ever that far up ship creek someone might do the same for me. I guess I'm an even bigger dumb ass then you." He says before climbing down into the darkness. I follow him close behind then the sheriff. We come out in a small no lit room. Glenn jogs through the room and I try to follow. But the second I put weight on my leg it starts to bleed and burn more then I thought possible.

"You guys keep going. I'll catch up." I wave them forward. But of course the Sheriff stops and turns around to face me.

"Are you sure you're ok?" His lack of experience to this new world shows through with his compassion for a stranger.

"Remember what I said sheriff? You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself." I wave my gun around to show I have reinforcement.

"She's right. We can't wait much longer. We have to go." Glenn backs me up but I can still see the sheriff's hesitation.

"Sheriff I'm right behind you." I give him a firm nod that he returns. And by the grace of God he finally goes, which means I can finally look at my leg. I sit on the floor and assess the damage. Overall it looks like someone took a cheese grader to my leg. The bleeding still hasn't clotted and it doesn't look like it will any time soon. So I have no other choice. I just shake my head and get up. I limp/run through the door the boys disappeared through seconds before. The door opens out to a set of stairs, which then takes me to an ally. I see Glenn and Rick run through while some people in black suits beat up two zombies, with way more force then necessary. I run past them and burst through the door seconds after the boys.

"You son of a bitch. I auta kill you." Some blond chick grabs hold of sheriffs shirt and pushes a gun to his head

"Chill out Andrea. Back off." One of the guys in the black suits says.

"Come on ease up." A lady I didn't notice next to her chimes in.

"Ease up? You're kidding me right? We're dead because of this stupid ass hole." She shakes her head. I may not know him very well, but I'll be dammed if I'm going to let this girl kill him. I did not just risk my life to let this guy die minutes later, so I raise my gun to her head and everyone freezes.

"No, you _might_ be dead because of him. But you _definitely_ will be if you don't put that gun down." She looks at me for the first time.

"You won't kill me. You're just a kid." She turns back to the sheriff.

"You know, I love when people say that. It makes their final moments way more interesting. But believe me when I say this. I lost my humanity a long time ago. In fact I might as well be a geek, walking around outside eating people. And I'm giving you a big hint here. I know how to use my gun a lot better then you do. So I suggest you put the gun down. Now. Or at least take the safety off, so your brain doesn't match your hair color." I bob my head to the side.

She starts to shake her head and drops the gun away from Rick. "We're dead. We're all dead, because of you." She looks like she's about to cry and I just lower my gun and lean against the wall.

"Thanks." The sheriff mumbles from beside me.

"You've been saying that a lot lately." I say with a humorless smile.

"I don't understand." The Sheriff turns to address the group.

"Look, we came into the city to gather supplies." Then we go off on a little stroll. I'm at the back of the group with Glenn.

"You didn't have to do that. She wasn't going to kill him." Glenn says to me as the rest of the group continues onward. I keep up well enough so we're not that far behind.

"I didn't want to take the chance. I trust him more then anyone else here." I respond casually.

"Didn't you just meet him?" He sounds surprised.

"I said I trust him _more_ then anyone else. I didn't say I actually trust him." He nods his head in understanding. We walk into the clothing shop that the hallway leads out to and see the group standing around. They're all looking at something and I see what when I follow their gaze. The doors are swamped with zombies. Just then one of them picks up a brick and starts working on the first set of doors.

"Lets go." The whole group moves back behind some cloths rack.

"What the hell were you doing out there anyways?" The Blond girl who I assume is named is Andrea asks.

"Trying to flag a helicopter."

"Helicopter. Man that's crap. Ain't no damn helicopter."

"There was." I finally speak up. "I saw it too."

"And what were you doing out there? We heard a bunch of noise coming from down the block." Andrea turns to me with dislike. I just know we're going to be the best of friends.

"Ok first of all, I was drawing them away from you so you should be thanking me. Second of all, it's none of your business. And third of all, please see points one and two." I smile back at her glaring face.

"Hey T Dog, did you try that CB again? Can you contact the others?"

"Others? The refuge center?" The sheriff asks after we share a look of confusion.

"Yeah the refugee center, they got biscuits waiting at the oven for us." A dark skinned girl responds, because a simple no would be to boring apparently.

"No signal." The guy, who apparently goes by T Dog, replies. "Maybe the roof." And just then, as if on cue, a gun shot fires from the roof.

"Oh no. Is that Dixon?" Andrea says in her about to cry voice.

The group starts moving to yet another set of stairs. I moan and limp after them. There is way too much walking going on around here. Once I finally reach the staircase I look up and have the smallest idea of throwing myself to the geeks so I can be spared the pain of walking up the steps. Instead I take a deep breath and take the stairs two at a time. I reach the top out of breath and take a minute to compose myself before opening the door to the roof. But when I do I almost second-guess my choice of taking the stairs instead of the zombies.

"Hey it's bad enough I've got this taco bender on my ass all day, and now I gotta take orders from you? I don't think so. That'll be the day." This must be Dixon of course he has to be a big white racist guy.

"That'll be the day? You got something you want to tell me?" T Dog shoots back.

"Hey T dog man just leave it. It ain't worth it. Now Merrill, just relax ok? We've got enough trouble." The Latin man says behind him.

This seems more like a group problem so I just take a seat on the stairs in front of the door and watch it all go down. And before I know it T Dog is taking a swing at Dixon. He misses and Dixon gets him in the face with the butt of his gun. Then the sheriff tries to intervene and he gets a solid punch in the face. But apparently that didn't' satisfy his punching needs because he turns back to T Dog and continues to beat the stuffing out of him. It's only when he pulls a gun on T Dog that I think about intervening. I think better of it though. This isn't any of my business I shouldn't even be here much less protecting people who I don't necessarily like. And plus I know he won't do it.

"Yeah! All right! We're going to have ourselves a little pow wow!" _Pow wow?_ "Huh. Talk about whose in charge. I vote me. Anybody else? Democracy time ya'll show of hands. All in favor?" And just like that the hands start popping up, all because Mr. Dixon has a gun. I have to admit he is really starting to piss me off. "That means I'm the boss right? Anybody else?"

I clear my throat loudly. "Uh yeah. Hi." I wave slightly. " I didn't get to vote." I smile over at him and he looks surprised to see me. People usually forget I'm there if they notice me at all. "You see I don't think I want to vote for you." I get up and start walking over to the lovely little group. I see the sheriff get up and from behind Dixon with the gun and he looks at me. We silently develop a plan between each other.

"You don't do you?" He raises his gun but I'm a lot faster and mines already pointing directly at his head.

"I don't." I shrug. "I don't think he does either." And just then the sheriff comes up from behind him and hits him over the head like Dixon did to T Dog. He then continues to handcuff him to a pole.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Dixon asks back.

"Officer Franly."

"You can call me Kade." I wave sarcastically.

"Look here Merrill. Things are different now. There are no niggers anymore. No dumb as shit in bred white trash fools either, only Dark meat and white meat. It's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together not apart."

"Screw you man."

"I can see you make a habit of missing the point." The Sheriff shoots back.

"Yeah well screw you twice."

"I'd be polite to the man with the gun. Only common sense." Then the sheriff puts a gun to the guy's head.

"You wouldn't you're a cop." He shoots back.

"I'm not." I smile and point my gun to his head.

"All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. And anyone who gets in the way of that is going to lose. I'll give you a moment to think about that." I lower my gun as well since the sheriff already did. After Rick throws Dixon's drugs over the roof we all basically try to forget he's there. The sheriff walks over to the edge of the roof and the two girls help T Dog up.

"You couldn't have pulled out that gun sooner?" He says to me with an offended look.

"I figured it wasn't any of my business." I shrug.

"None of you're business if someone dies?" The dark skinned girl asks.

"Yeah." I respond simply. And return to my seat by the door. The last place I want to be is near the edge of the roof.

I catch the entire conversation though. Basically there's no signal, and there are some people outside of the city. Oh, and there's no refuge center. But all I can think about is Zach and Zeke. That is, it was the only thing I could think about until everyone started talking about a plan down stairs in the basement. So then we all take another trip downstairs. Where of course another ladder goes into yet another dark whole in the middle of the floor.

"This is it? You sure?" Rick asks.

"I already scoped this place out the other times I was here. It's the only thing in the building that goes down. But I've never gone down it. Who'd want to right?" Just then we all look at him. " Oh. Great." He understands clearly what we're all implying. I almost feel bad for sending him. I would go myself but I'm not as fast as I usually am with this bum leg.

"We'll be right behind you." Andrea offers in sympathy.

"No you won't. Not you." Glenn shoots her down.

"Why not me? You think I can't?" I hate girls who always think they have something to prove, and it's apparent she's one of those girls. I don't think we're going to get along very well.

"I wasn't…" He starts to say but then decides better of it and his sentence disappears in the air.

"Speak you mind." Rick says encouraging him to continue talking.

"Until now I've always came here by myself in and out, grab a few things no problem. First time I bring a group everything goes to hell. No offence." Glenn goes on while I take a step back and sit down.

I've never been one for group discussions so my mind begins to wander as all this goes down. I know Zach will be starting to worry by now. Maybe even thinking about coming to look for me. I don't know if theses people are safe on there own but I do know that I need to get out of here… and fast.

"… Kade and Andrea are the only other two with guns so they should go with him in the shop. You be my wing man Jacqui stays here…" He goes on assigning jobs but I'm already up and moving.

I'm sitting on the counter in the shop when Rick and Andrea walk in. It's quiet and a little awkward at first but I don't mind, I like the quiet. Of course it doesn't last though.

"How's your leg?" Rick asks walking towards me.

"It's been better that's for sure." I respond looking down. It's still bleeding but less profusely now. "I need to get going soon though so we need to wrap up this little get together."

"Maybe we can go with them." He says glancing over his shoulder at Andrea who is browsing the jewelry section.

"Maybe _you_ can go with them. I told you, once we're out of here we part ways. You can go skipping through fields of daisies with them if you want but I won't be joining you."

"Why did you help me if you were just going to leave?" He asks looking into my eyes as if might lie to him.

"I gave you a chance at life, my motives don't matter. I'll make sure you're taken care of but then you're on your own. Or you could go with them, I don't care."

"You can't survive this on your own, at least not with that leg of yours."

"Don't underestimate me Sheriff. It's a very common mistake and its some peoples last." I shoot back meeting his eyes. "It's all nice and sweet of you to care but I wouldn't if I was you. You look after yourself in this world and if you do help someone you do it and get out." I tear my eyes from his and look out the window.

"I'm going to see if we can trust these people." He says and walks away without waiting for a response. I shake my head at how naive he is.

I zone out whatever flirtatious conversation Rick has with Andrea and instead go shopping. Everything in the store is pitiful though so I use a cut up t-shirt as a bandage instead. I'm satisfied with my make shift medical work and am sitting back admiring it when the zombie with the brick busts through the first set of glass doors. I raise my gun in one and have my hammer. My eyes and weapons are glued to the door as Glenn bursts into the shop.

"What did you find down there?" Rick asks barely removing his eyes from the doors.

"Not a way out."

"We need to find a way out… and soon" Andrea says over Ricks shoulder.

"No shit Sherlock." I fire back getting a pretty dirty look in return to which I just shrug off.

Of course everyone wants to go up to the roof again, so I just hobble up at the back of the group with Glenn next to me.

"Do you need help?" He asks glancing at my leg and the fresh flow of blood coming out of it.

"Nope," I reply.

"You can trust us you know." He says hesitantly.

"I really can't, but thanks." I shrug and keep hiking up the stairs. When we finally make to the roof everyone goes to the edge to assess the amount danger we're in, and I'm right there with them.

"That construction site, those trucks, they always keep keys on hand." Rick says gesturing down below with one hand and holding a pair of binoculars in the other

"You'll never make it past the walkers."

"You got me out of that tank." Rick states hopefully to Glenn.

"Yeah, but they were feeding. They were distracted," he replies.

"Can we distract them again?" Rick says not giving up on the idea of freedom

"Right. Listen to him, he's onto something. A diversion like on 'Hogan's Heroes'," Merle states.

"He would make a good distraction." I say looking down at him. "Toss him on over, then make a run for the cars."

"We can't do that." Rick says shooting down what, in my opinion, could have been a great plan. "They're attracted to sound right?"

"Yeah," I answer with a sigh.

"What else?" Rick asks facing me.

"Sight, smell," I say looking back at him and seeing the gears turning in his head.

"By smell?" He questions.

"Yeah. There's a pretty big difference in smell between us and them… Well at least there should be." I reply nodding my head slightly and realizing the plan that Rick has.

"If bad ideas were an Olympic event this would take the gold." Glenn says as we're gathering supplies for Rick's scheme.

"It makes sense, I'm on board." I admit standing by Rick's side.

"Just because you are doesn't make it a good idea." Andrea says with distaste in her eyes.

"There's the door if you don't like the plan." I say using my gun to gesture to the zombie packed exit.

"Kade, help me with the bodies." Rick says and takes the lead. "You could be nicer." He says grabbing one hand of the dead zombie while I take the other.

"The sad thing is, that is my nice." I reply with a smile dancing across my lips.

I hear Rick chuckle then we run the dead body back inside. Rick takes a tool off the floor and smashes it into the emergency fire axe. I watch him as he walks over to the dead zombie and raise the axe from my seat on a couple of boxes. I know before he does that he won't be able to do it. He stops the axe mid swing and lets it come to a rest at his side. He takes off his gloves and drops the axe to go through the zombies pockets. I'm shocked for only a moment until I realize what he's doing… He wants a name.

"Wayne Dunlap." He says out load.

Honestly, I wish he wouldn't. The reason why it's so easy for me to kill a zombie is because I don't see them as once being humans. As having lives and families at one point, I just see them as killing machines. Rick continues though, only making it harder for me to look at the dead body on the floor.

"Georgia license. Born in 1979. He had twenty eight dollars in his pocket when he died, and a picture of a pretty girl. 'with love from Rachel'" He reads off the back of the picture. "He use to be like us, worrying about bills, or the rent, or the Super Bowl. If I ever find my family, I'm going to tell them about Wayne."

"One more thing, he's an organ donor," Glenn adds.

"Great, so I guess that makes it ok to chop him up and splatter his guts all over us. Thank God for that." I say just before grabbing the axe from Rick's hands and taking the first swing.

"You're sick," Andrea adds to me.

"Excruciatingly so," I say back with a smile then hand the axe off to Rick who continues chopping. Once enough minced up guts have spilled out they finally stop cutting.

"Does everybody have gloves?" Rick asks and continues once everyone confirms yes. "Make sure you don't get any on your skin or in your eyes." He takes a handful of zombie and starts spilling it over his whit lab coat.

Everyone helps in coating the Sheriff, Glenn and I. Of course when I first volunteered to go out almost everyone objected because I was hurt but I managed to persuade Rick and once he was on board everyone else cam over too. So here I am, covered in a disgusting coat with Glenn next to me about to through up.

"Just think of something else, like puppies and kittens." Sheriff says trying to keep Glenns breakfast inside of him.

"Dead puppies and kittens." T-dog adds not being much helpful. As if a trigger Glenn pukes on the floor behind him and everyone scolds T-dog for saying it in the first place.

"You suck," Glenn moans once standing again making me laugh quietly to myself.

"Do we smell like them?" Rick questions the clean part of the group.

"Oh yeah." They all respond.

"Glenn, take this. Just incase." Andrea says handing Glenn her gun. Once she sees he doesn't have hands to take it though she tucks it into the front of his pants.

"If we make it back, be ready." Rick says looking each of the ones staying behind in the eyes.

"When, _When_ we make it back be ready." I correct checking my gun to make sure its fully loaded and the silencer is in place.

"You're confident," Glenn says quietly next to me so only I can hear.

"Because I have to be." I say glancing at him from the side of my eye. Rick hands the key's to Merle's handcuffs before we leave to T-dog.

Once we're covered in guts we open the door and the three of us walk out. Only when the door closes behind us do we all share a look. I give a short nod to both of the boys next to me then try to have as convincing of a zombie walk as I can muster. We walk past two geeks and army crawl under a bus slowly and make our way toward the construction cars. I start to shake when I hear the thunder clouds and I'm not quite sure why, but we continue to walk forward still.

"I can't believe this is actually working." Glenn whispers between the Sheriff and I.

"Don't draw attention to yourself." Sheriff shoots back in a low voice. Just then a girl zombie leans in close to Glenn and circles him slowly.

"Looks like someone had a little crush." I mumble after the walker lurks away.

"Shut up," Glenn says back but with a smile pulling at his lips. Just then it starts to rain. My heart picks up in pace as I look down and see the guts dripping off my coat. I look up and see the fence where we need to get to isn't far.

"We need to make a run for it. This stuff won't last much longer." I say just above a whisper.

"We won't make it we just have to keep going." Rick persists right as a zombie turns to us and starts to stumble towards us.

"We don't have a choice." Then I go.

I run ahead of Glenn and Rick and do what I do best. I kill walkers. I take down so many I lose count and I make it to the fence leaving a trail of bodies in my wake. I turn around to help Sheriff and Glenn and see a walker coming up from behind Glenn. I sigh and pull out one of the throwing knifes strapped to my forearm. I don't hesitate to throw it and it sinks deep into the walker's eye. Glenn turns and sees what I did for him.

"Grab the knife and come on!" I shout. The two of them show up by my side in seconds and we jump the fence. Glenn is the one who grabs the keys to the truck and we all hop in.

"How the hell did that zombie know how to climb a fence in the rain? I can barely do that." I say as a geek throws itself into the car window.

Rick shoots off in reverse, just as he does the herd of walkers at fence breaks it down. It's hard for me to control the urge to stay and release a grenade and fight but I do. I look away from the herd and turn to the two boys sitting next to me.

"Oh God, they're all over that place!" Glenn says freaking out.

"You need to draw them away. Those roll-up doors at the front of the store that area? That's what I need cleared. Raise your friends. Tell them to get there and be ready." Rick fires off; talking over any words Glenn and I are try to interrupt with.

"So I'm drawing the geeks away, how? I… I missed that part." Glenn stutters out.

"Noise." Rick answers.

"You sure do catch on fast don't you sheriff?" I say with a smile. "So how do you expect on making so much noise?" I question further, while cleaning off my hammer and knife.

"We'll break into the car sound the alarm and Glenn can drive it past the walkers. Then continue onto camp."

"One problem, the alarm will be going off all the way to the camp and attract walkers there too."

"There's nothing we can do about that. We'll just have to risk it."

"I know someone who can fix it…my little brother." I say in spite of myself.

"I thought you said you're alone."

"I lied," I respond simply

"You lied?" He asks back in disbelief.

"Yes. I didn't know who you were and I wasn't going to give you their location without knowing I could trust you."

"Their? As in there is more then just your little brother?" Rick continues to question.

"Yeah one other." I say my eye focused on the road ahead.

"Anything else you'd like to share?" Rick asks sounding more hurt then I thought he would be.

"Nope. Well at least not now. But back to the task at hand if you can get me to my brother then he can disable the alarm before you get to the camp and I can jump ship with him and Zeke." I list what seems to me like the perfect set up.

"No, no, no. We had a deal. You were supposed to get me a car." Rick says suddenly.

"Look Sheriff, I don't know what you think you're driving but it isn't a cheeseburger." I respond tucking my gun back into my back pack and pulling out a sheathed knife about the length of my forearm.

"I need a real car, not some huge truck."

"Then what are you suggesting?" I ask beginning to lose my temper.

"We meet up at there camp then part ways form their group. Then you get me a car and we head off to the CDC separate but closely" He says glancing at me as he stops the car.

"Look Sheriff I don't owe you anything. You asking me to take my group back to a camp full of people I don't know then get you car and we head off together in the sunset is not a reasonable request. I have two people's lives depending on me. I can't just risk everything I have for someone I don't know" I shoot back after I get out of the car with him.

"You don't have to. I'm just asking you to trust me. You can probably kill me ten different ways before I could hurt any of you or your people."

"Twenty. I can kill you twenty different ways, my brother forty, so I'm going to trust you… Only because I've killed bigger." I add just before I break the window to a nice red car.

I hop in the passenger seat with Glenn driving and give the Sheriff a salute before Glenn speeds off with a big smile on his face. The drive is a long one and I sit completely still as we cruse past the store to lure the zombies out. Even with the loud alarm blaring it's somehow quiet.

"Did you really kill somebody?" He asks the smile dropping form his face.

"I killed five men… But they deserved it." I say looking out the window.

"How did they deserve it? How does anyone deserve something like that?" He questions me further and I can feel my hands turn into fists.

"Look, the only people that survive this are either already killers or just plain lucky. I would rather trust a walker before I trust a living human. I know what walkers intentions are but you never know with people. I made that mistake before, I made that mistake with the five, and I became a killer because of it."

"What did they do?" He asks swallowing.

"Ok, you're driving a really nice car down an abandon street. Do you really want to talk about my sins or do you want to drive?" I ask throwing on a fake smile.

"I wanna drive." He says the smile returning to his face. I can't smile though, especially not after talking about the five. Another ten minutes later we start approaching the building where Zach is.

"Turn in here and wait in the car." I say and jump out before the car can slow to a stop. The second my feet touch the floor Z is out the door weapon raised.

"Broke?! What took you so long?!" He yells over the alarm and runs to me, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Whose Broke?!" Glenn yells from behind me. Zach has his weapon raised before I can take in a breath to talk.

"Friend!" I say before Zach becomes killer. He lowers his weapon slowly. "Z you need to shut off the car alarm before it attracts too many geeks!" I yell to him but he's already got the hood up and is tinkering around inside. The alarm stops seconds later and a creepy silence looms over us.

"I'm going to get Zeke, you grab the stuff." I say to Zach then turn to Glenn. "Get in the car and wait here."

I run into the building and start grabbing everything we own. I stop when I see Zeke sleeping in his car seat. I smile and pick up the car seat. Zeke wakes up but he doesn't cry, he never cries, instead he just giggles quietly when he sees my face. I bring him with me outside and strap him in. Zach is already sitting in the front seat with a board look on his face.

"You have a baby?" Glenn asks as I walk over to the driver seats window.

"Yeah…" I say with a nod. I understand the real question by the look that follows. "He's not mine. Well he his mine, but he didn't come out of me or anything." I say with a gross look on my face.

"Oh, ok." He replies with an awkward nod.

"Just lead the way I'll follow close behind." I tap on the door and walk back to the car.

"Where are we going?" Zach asks form the back seat with Zeke.

"To a camp, with other people," I say my eyes glued to the back of Glenn's car.

"Do we trust these people?" Zach asks back sitting up straight.

"Not yet, but maybe. Just… be ready to fight."

"I always am." I look at him as the words leave his lips and he looks at me. We share a stiff nod between each other and mentally preparing ourselves for whatever comes next

I hope you liked it. Please leave me comments and suggestions! I love hearing what you guys have to say.


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